Biographies of Men of God

I really enjoy reading biographies of men of God who had really powerful ministries and made a big impact in the cities and countries where they ministered. One of the things that really stand out for most of them is that they forsook all to follow Christ and to run the race that was set before them.


How I would love to read the biographies of godly men who seemingly were not used in any great way to further the kingdom of God. Men like John Vredenburgh mentioned in the following paragraph. All I could find further to this paragraph was that he preached in only one church for twenty one years till his death along with some of his genealogy.


Rev. T. De Witt Talmage relates the following story "In the church at Somerville, New Jersey, where I was afterwards pastor, John Vredenburgh preached for a great many years. He felt that his ministry was a failure, and others felt so, although he was a faithful minister preaching the Gospel all the time. He died, and died amid some discouragements, and went home to God; for no one ever doubted that John Vredenburgh was a good Christian minister. A little while after his death there came a great awakening in Somerville, and one Sabbath two hundred souls stood up at the Christian altar espousing the cause of Christ, among them my own father and mother. And what was peculiar in regard to nearly all of those two hundred souls was that they dated their religious impressions from the ministry of John Vredenburgh."

From this paragraph we see that John was:

• preaching for a great many years
• a faithful minister preaching the Gospel all the time
• a failure in his own eyes
• a failure in others eyes
• discouraged
• a good Christian minister

One other thing we see is that though he didn't seem to lead many to Christ (he might not have lead any), it does say "And what was peculiar in regard to nearly all of those two hundred souls was that they dated their religious impressions from the ministry of John Vredenburgh." In other words John was a sower. In John 4:37 it says And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

I am looking forward to meeting John some day and being a witness when God shows John all that he accomplished because of his faithful witness. What joy there will be in heaven. Who knows maybe I am a christian because John preached to an individual who preached to another individual who preached to another individual etc., to he who had a hand in my own conversion.

My hope is that my own walk with Jesus will be fruitful in Gods eyes. Pray for me, that I continue my walk with Christ and to set aside anything that will hinder that walk.

Blessings,
Evert